Hybrid Continuous Improvement Manager

at National Centre for Social Research

• Job title: Continuous Improvement Manager
• Job type: Full Time
• Experience level: Mid level, Senior
• Salary: £45,000 - £50,000 per year
• Degree requirement: No Education Requirement
• Location requirements: Hybrid, London, United Kingdom

About the role

• Continuous Improvement Manager leading impactful change initiatives at NatCen. Driving improvement programmes and building organisational capability in process optimisation.

Responsibilities

• Lead impactful, cross‑functional change initiatives that directly shape how the organisation operates.
• Drive medium-large scale improvement programmes using data, insight, and structured problem‑solving.
• Redesign processes and workflows alongside data and operational teams to optimise systems and ways of working.
• Champion continuous improvement by defining success measures and showcasing benefits to senior stakeholders.
• Build organisational capability by coaching teams in improvement methods and embedding best‑practice standards.
• Play a key role in maturing the organisation’s overall improvement culture and long‑term transformation agenda.

Requirements

• Experience delivering continuous improvement initiatives
• Experience influencing without direct authority
• Strong process mapping and analytical capability, with an emphasis on embedding change
• Experience facilitating structured workshops
• Demonstrated delivery of measurable operational outcomes
• Comfortable working autonomously on projects using own initiative.
• Lean or Six Sigma methodology knowledge is desirable.
• Experience working with digital or system transformation is desirable.
• Experience in research, consultancy, or professional services environment is desirable.

Benefits

• 25 days’ holiday (three of which must be taken during Christmas closure) plus 8 bank holidays. Leave increases to 30 days after 3 years’ employment.
• All new employees will be automatically enrolled on the pension scheme 3 months from their start date unless stated otherwise. The minimum employee contribution is 3% and the maximum employer contribution is 5% of salary.
• Staff can also join our defined contribution pension scheme. The minimum employee contribution is 4% and the maximum employer contribution is 7.5% of salary.
• All employees are eligible for a lump sum benefit payable to the named beneficiary on the employee’s death of 5 times their annual salary.
• This is an online employee benefits scheme featuring discounts at over 800 retailers and service providers in the UK.
• Employees can sign up to healthcare cash plan which lets you claim back the cost of treatments.
• We will pay the cost of one professional membership subscription per individual per annum, where that subscription is required for the job.
• This is a government initiative which allows NatCen to provide bikes and associated safety equipment to employees.
• We offer an interest free loan to buy annual season tickets for travel to work.
• NatCen will contribute up to £30 per year for an eye test.
• Flexible working is supported where it helps to meet the aims of the company.
• Employees who meet the qualifying criteria can claim up to 18 working weeks unpaid leave per child under 5.
• EAP is a confidential helpline designed to help you deal with personal and professional problems.
• We are passionate about learning and the value it brings to the organisation.